Your Holiday Travel Guide

The best part of the holidays other than quality family time is the time to get away. While we love the sites and scenes in the city of stars, sometimes it’s nice to spend the festive season abroad. With that in mind we have rounded together the top destinations to jet off to between Hanukkah and the New Year, so pack your bags for the great Winter escape!

Mexico’s Pacific Coast

While Puerto Vallarta is always a guaranteed great time south of the border, the beach town of Sayulita delivers its own level of style. Just 20 miles south from the major resort area, this is plentiful of vintage board shops and hammock strung guest homes. Feel like splurging? In between beach shack margaritas and local bites are NYC and Parisian designers tucked into brightly painted boutiques. Your winter getaway awaits!!

Tbilisi, Georgia

While this destination may seem an unlikely choice for a winter get-away, it is an ideal spot for those looking to find a different skiing scene. While places like Aspen and Switzerland never disappoint, the same can be said for Tbilisi. With its jumble of colorful balconies, Art Nouveau facades and picturesque flea markets, its the perfect combination of Eurasian wonder.

Botswana

It’s the place where HRH Prince Harry swept nor HRH Duchess Megan off her feet. It is also one of the most extraordinary safari experiences you can find in this region of the South African Nation. The Okavango delta is overflowing in wildlife found throughout the areas protected park and game reserve. With the area’s new found press, Wilderness Safaris was lucky to open it’s new luxury tented suites; Oorokwe Camp at the right time. With bleached timbers and private deck , these accommodations along the border of Moremi Game Reserve is fit for any Royal or visitor alike.

Nepal and Bhutan

As we promised, this is a list of destinations perfect to visit during the winter months, and the area of Nepal and Bhutan holds true to that promise. Stay at the famed Dwarika Hotel–an oasis of architectural charm and traditional luxury, one of many luxury hotel options in the area. Then take your exploring to new heights by enjoying a helicopter ride to the top of The Taktsang Monastery. There you will enjoy a picnic lunch above the clouds followed by a hike down to tour the Monastery. When do we leave?

India

While India almost speaks for itself as a travel choice, this year marks a historic opportunity to visit. This year the country celebrates 150 years since the birth of Gandhi. Also while there one can see the wonder of Nagaland and the Kaziranga National Park-home to asiatic rhinos and some of Asia’s last surviving former-headhunting tribes.

Tohoku, Japan

Japan has always served as a fascinating and unique destination full of culturally exquisite finds. With so many area’s to chose from to explore, why not venture off the beaten path? Tohoku, 90 minutes north-east of Tokyo offers incredible natural landscapes. Perfect for hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter, it is a year round escape. Wander through the village of Kakunodate, home to Samurai legends and artisan workshops, reminiscent of the Edo period.

Mackenzie Country, Otago, New Zealand

We all know New Zealand as the land of Hobbiton(or Lord of the Rings fans know this), but the island nation is more than fantasy in it splendor. With it’s glacial highlands and sunken valleys, visitors are recommended to enjoy the country’s Alp region for hiking, biking and luxury accommodations.

Nusa Penida, Indonesia

While Bali and the Gili Islands already serve as world renowned vacation spots, the island of Nusa Penida is just as breathtaking. Located just of the south east coast of Bali, Nusa Penida offers untouched landscapes. Amongst the beauty is a chance to soak in the natural wonder of the Giri Putri Cave or Angel’s Billabong. Stay at the Kabeh Jati Garden Villa for a perfect nights rest.

Panama

While 2019 will be a celebration off Panama City’s 500 year history, mid-December begins it’s season of the best time to travel to the region. While the country is small in size, it offers vast options of exploration. From it’s white sand beaches and indigenous culture and it’s to tropical rainforest and misty highlands, your adventure awaits.

Palomino, Columbia

With it’s beautiful; Caribbean beaches and and stunning wildlife, Palomina is the ideal holiday escape. Enjoy surfing or floating via tub down the Palomino River and its natural beauty. With it’s amazing range of seafood and luxury stay options, this Columbian destination awaits your well deserved visit.

June 4, 2018

The Best Places to Travel in July

PLACE DES ARTS, MONTREAL | JEFF GREENBERG/UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP/GETTY IMAGES

Quebec

No one crushes on summer like French Canada, and no surprise, July’s the height of festival season in Montreal and Quebec City. If you’re into ex-Olympian acrobats soaring overhead, the Montreal Completement Cirque is your jam, a circus festival where jaw-dropping acrobats have nightly public performances in squares and streets, like a city-wide Cirque du Soleil running from July 5-15, most of it free. Montreal also hosts the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival July 14-18, headlined this year by Kevin Hart, Trevor Noah, and Tom Green. For jazz enthusiasts, one of the biggest jazz gatherings in the world kicks off July when the Montreal International Jazz Festival runs from June 28 to July 7. For practically every non-jazz genre, head 150 miles further northeast to Quebec City for the Festival d’été de Québec, one of the most underrated parties anywhere on the continent. Just $80 (USD) covers your pass for the entire festival (July 5-15), which fills clubs, parks, and pop-up stages around the 410-year-old city’s vibrant, fortress-lined Downtown with the likes of Neil Young, The Weeknd, Future, and the Foo Fighters.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Yes, it might be a little warm down Mexico way this time of year. But you know what that means? One of the most popular and beautiful beaches in the world won’t be nearly as packed and will cost a fraction of what it would during spring. There’s also tons to do here toward the end of the month, when the Festival of the Virgin Carmen lands and parades, musical performances, and general Mexican mayhem take over the city. A few days later, the ZoukMX festival takes over the beach, a 10-day dance party on the shore that feels like a more-authentic spring break, with a far more upscale vibe.

MACKINAC ISLAND HARBOR, MICHIGAN | APMADOC/ROOM/GETTY IMAGES

Mackinac Island, Michigan

There may be no better place to spend a summer week than on the shores of Lake Huron, where perfect weather and calm lakes make for an idyllic summer retreat. If you’ve got the cash, the best place to experience it is historic Mackinac (pronounced just like Mackinaw) home to one of the country’s most impressive Fourth of July fireworks displays over the lake. Cars aren’t allowed on the island, and with 80% of the land protected as a state park, it’s the kind of place where you’ll feel completely disconnected once you cross over the largest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere. The highlight of the month is on July 21, when the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac arrives in town. Bringing with it all the parties, dinners, and general high society that accompanies a big-time sailing race.

Kenya

The single greatest animal migration on the planet happens this month in Kenya, when the thundering wildebeest make the move from the Serengeti to Masai Mara. It’s one of the greatest shows in nature, and unlike the northern lights or a spewing volcano, you can actually plan a vacation around it. The places to see it best are at the Lamai Wedge and at the Mara River, where the wildebeest must cross treacherous, crocodile-filled waters. It’s like a front row seat to Animal Planet. The Kichwa Tembo Camp, Bateleur Camp, and Sayari Mara Camp are the ideal spots to stay to catch the action. Afterward head out to the coast and some of the most underrated beaches in the world at Watamu, where you’ll likely have most of the sand to yourself.

Niagara Falls, Ontario

If you haven’t ever been to one of the great natural wonders of North America because you thought it was basically Pigeon Forge with a waterfall, prove yourself wrong in July. This month Niagara Falls welcomes the world’s biggest elevated go-kart track at Niagara Speedway, which looks like a real-life Mario Kart set atop Clifton Hill. Also returning to the falls is the new-ish Mistrider zip line, where you’ll zip past the US falls, right to the base of Horseshoe. Once you’re done marveling at the power of the water flow at Journey Behind the Falls, head up the river and take a high-speed jet boat through the Niagara Gorge and its class V-VI rapids. Then sample beers you’ll never find in the States along the Niagara ale trail with stops at Niagara Brewing — right by the falls — and Oast House, a brewery set inside a barn in the heart of Ontario wine country.

Byron Bay, Australia

Music festivals have become a summer tradition on par with road trips and T-shirt-shaped sunburns. And sure you COULD drive to your nearest Live Nation-approved festival and see names like Kendrick Lamar, Lorde, and Vampire Weekend. But wouldn’t it be more fun to head to the easternmost point in Australia and see all those people plus the Wombats, MGMT, Franz Ferdinand, and dozens of other bands in the temperate winter down under? Of course it would, so go ahead and blow your 2018 festival budget on Australia’s biggest festival, Splendour in the Grass, held July 20-22 in tranquil Byron Bay. Beyond the festival, Byron Bay has some of the most unheralded beaches on the continent, plus a hinterland rainforest and plenty of trails traversing it all.

Idaho

Even though it got its own dark sky preserve last year and spots like Sandpoint and Stanley are lauded as outdoor paradises, Idaho is still the undiscovered gem of the Pacific Northwest. And no time of year does it shine brighter than July, when biking through the Sawtooth Mountains, rafting the Snake River, or perusing the breweries and greenways of hipper-than-you-realize Boise can all be done under cloudless skies. On July 14, the northern resort town of Coeur d’Alene welcomes From the Ashes, sort of a mad science fair of smoked foods. More than a simple barbecue throwdown, this festival gives pitmasters from Idaho, South Carolina, Texas, and New York City (NEW YORK CITY??) custom-built equipment to test modern takes on smoked food, served alongside a bounty of local craft beers.

Turkey

This is one of those world destinations where you really have to separate the acts of the government — currently the world leader in imprisoning journalists — from reality of regular restaurateurs and hoteliers and tour guides who would love to welcome you. So on the assumption you still want to see one of the world’s oldest, most fascinating cradles of civilization, this is not the worst time to do so (tourism isn’t exactly at an all-time high). Places like Istanbul and the coastal city of Ankara won’t be nearly as clogged with visitors, and considerably cheaper. To best experience the ancient ruins, natural wonders, and exotic culture of the country, Intrepid Travel offers a 12-day tour for about $1,100 that’ll have you cycling along the shores of Lake Gokova before soaking in nearby thermal mud baths. You’ll also tour historic World War II battlefields, kayak over sunken cities, hike through pine forests, and spend time in the town of Antalya, a waterfront gem just a few miles from the Greek Islands. Along the way, you’ll probably answer a few questions from curious fellow travelers about what the hell, exactly, is going on in Washington DC these days.

ST. LOUIS ZOO, MISSOURI | CHICAGO TRIBUNE/TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE/GETTY IMAGES

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is one of the great bargain American destinations, where top attractions like Forest Park, the zoo, the art museum, and the science center are all free. This month also brings the grand opening of the $380 million Gateway Arch renovation, where the city’s signature landmark reopens with 11 acres of new park space, 7.5 acres of gardens, a bridge over the highway from downtown, and live music at the new amphitheater. It’s also the height of baseball season, and few scenes in baseball rival that of Ballpark Village outside Busch Stadium before Cardinals games. Add in a cold, refreshing trip to the original Budweiser Brewery and you’ve got the best cheap US destination to hit in July.

NANJING ROAD, SHANGHAI | DOWELL/MOMENT/GETTY IMAGES

Shanghai, China

One of the biggest logistical pains in travel is getting visas. But Shanghai is making it a little easier for you to visit now, allowing US visitors to stay in the city visa-free for up to 144 hours (six days). Shanghai has sunk millions into redeveloping its waterfront at The Bund, where you’ll stroll by Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, and Renaissance architecture with striking views of the modern skyline across the river. Want to get in your summer theme park fix? Shanghai’s got its own Disneyland. Or relax in the more-classical Yuyuan Garden after a hectic day of shopping in along Nanjing Road.

New Hampshire

For outdoor-adventure types in the east, no place beats New Hampshire in July. White Mountain National Forest is more green than white this time of year, with some of the best mountain biking and off-road cycling trails in the country. Kayaking and canoeing along Squam Lake makes for a calm, serene mountain getaway. Or hit Newfound Lake in the state’s Lake Region for the largest freshwater swimming beach in the state. For the extreme athlete, July 8 brings the Loon Mountain Race, where competitors climb more than 2,000 vertical feet over the course of 6.5 miles, including the Upper Boss ski run. Afterwards, relax at the RiverWalk Resort, which in addition to a massive lagoon pool also has a small winery onsite where you can nurse your sore muscles with a nice glass of rosé.

CALGARY, CANADA | JEFF WHYTE/SHUTTERSTOCK

Calgary, Alberta

If you love country-western anything, there may be no better place ever than Calgary in July. That’s when this Canadian prairie city hosts the annual Calgary Stampede, where more than a million people attend the 10-day festival that’s as much about the parties as it is about the biggest purse in outdoor rodeo. Nightly concerts include headlines like Brad Paisley and Luke Bryan, with plenty of smaller country bands playing venues around a city that’s striving to be the Austin of Canada. If live animals get old, head about 80 minutes outside of the city to the Royal Tyrrell Museum, the only solely dedicated paleontology museum in world. In July, it offers opportunities for you to join in on an actual live dig and maybe find some dino bones.

Story by Thrillist.

January 16, 2018

The Best Places For A Big Trip in 2018

Don’t get us wrong: We love Instagram. It’s inspirational, revelatory, and just so darn addictive. But therein lies the danger. Before you know it, just about every place in the whole wide world ends up on one almighty, must-see bucket list. Suddenly you’re booking flights to some Japanese hinterland just because that unicorn cookie looks extra delicious in X Pro II, or road-tripping a thousand miles off-course to visit your sort-of-friend’s sort-of-friend in Arkansas purely to see their photogenic pumpkin.

You don’t have all the time in the world, nor all the money. Realistically you have the funds and vacation days to make one or two epic trips happen this year, max. What you really want to know is where to go right now (or at least, this year, because we all know last-minute flights can be a killer). We pressed our globe-trotting writers for their tips for a single, blowout trip in 2018. These are the places that are at the top of their game this year, whether it’s down to a flashy one-off event, crazy low flight prices, or just because the rebels are finally giving it a rest. And don’t fret, they’ll all make a good ‘Gram, too.

New Orleans, Louisiana

NOLA’s anniversary year will be a party 300 years in the making
Sure, New Orleans is in a perpetual state of celebration, but a party that only comes once every 300 years is going to be especially rowdy — like, downing hurricanes on a fan boat with Coach Orgeron bellowing “go Tigers!” rowdy. Every single festival this year will get a tricentennial upgrade. Mardi Gras floats will retell the founding story of Nouvelle-Orléans; Jazz Fest will have a lineup for the ages; and at no point should you skip the ongoing exhibition Prospect 4, a treasure map of murals and sculptures raising the city’s up-and-coming arts profile beyond the blur of purple and green fleurs-de-lis.

Even if you’ve come for beads and gumbo in years past, expect to see New Orleans from new perspectives. The Mississippi River is now dotted with riverside pocket parks, replacing the warehouses and railroad tracks that once blocked the view. The North Rampart Street cable car line has been extended to get visitors beyond the French Quarter into the Bywater district. Even Bourbon Street has gotten itself a $6 million facelift, and if a street that odorous can clean up for a good anniversary party, the least you can do is répondez, s’il vous plaît. —Sean Cooley

Russia

The unlikely World Cup hosts will respect that you actually made the trip, you badass
If there’s one reason to visit Russia in 2018, it’s the World Cup. “But hang on,” I hear you say, “didn’t the US fail to qualify after losing to the Caribbean’s 12th most-intimidating soccer powerhouse, Trinidad and Tobago?”

Exactly. Just think, this the first time in over 30 years that Americans can go to a World Cup and not be surrounded by other Americans. For once, there will be no misplaced confidence, overtime heartbreak, or idolizing of beardy bald guys. All of which means you can just sit back and enjoy the spectacle, or pick your favorite team based purely on the snazziness of their kit or your granny’s penchant for brooding Latin American types.

The biggest matches will be played in Moscow, but take the train to St. Petersburg instead — the tournament coincides with the city’s White Nights, a period of round-the-clock daylight when the parties never stop and there are fancy concerts and ballets every evening. Or mix it up and head for a smaller city: Summer hotspot Sochi hosted the Olympics in 2014 and still has the blinged-out infrastructure to prove it, while Yekaterinburg and Volgograd are steeped in bloody, Soviet-era history. You may know Russia as the surname of the phrase “colluding with,” but in the even bigger picture, it’s a scandalously beautiful land, full of people who will respect your chutzpah when you arrive ready for the games. — Jonathan Melmoth

Iceland

Remote terrain and raw beauty await, once you slip past the crowds in the capital
Yes, the secret is out about Iceland and its gobsmacking Ring Road. In 2016 this country of 330,000 inhabitants hosted something like 1.7 million tourists, more than triple the visits of 2010. Certain attractions are being trampled beyond sustainability — blame Game of Thronesif you like — and politicians have suggested imposing limits on tourism to protect the environment. Translation: 2018 may be your best shot for a cheap WOW Air flight, or whatever fresh promotion Iceland Air is running. The window on the sheer raw openness of the place may be closing.

Until then, Iceland is the ultimate wellspring for powerful nature odysseys. Ethereal landscapes, each infused with evocative folk legends, await at every bend of the road. Cosied up by its lonesome at the top of the Atlantic, the unique scenery of this Maine-sized island is ever changing, both subtly and in literal volcanic explosions — spreads of rock and glacier shift and reshape amid fresh ice formations and irregularly tempoed geysers. There’s a reason movies love filming here: the place is endlessly cinematic. Go afield of Reykjavik to the active volcanic playground of the north, or compact geological smorgasbord of the west. It’s all red-hot here, even where it’s frozen. — Barbara Woolsey

Colombia

Catch the authentic South American experience before everyone else arrives
Just a few years ago, Colombia ran one of the world’s boldest tourism slogans: “The only danger is not wanting to leave.” It was a brilliant play, a gorilla-in-the-room allusion to how many Americans presume, wrongly, that “Colombia” is synonymous with “kidnapping.” Slowly, Americans have come to realize that one of the most beautiful countries in the Western Hemisphere is also one of the safest, and that trips here are a chance to live well for almost nothing.

The cities are spectacular, cosmopolitan. Look for modern urbanism in Bogota, the beaches and history in Cartagena, and epic parties in Medellin. Airbnbs that look like million-dollar Miami condos can be had for $150 a night, complete with drivers and maids. Gourmet meals are under $50. Nights out are a song. The Colombian coastline is also world-class, whether it’s the classic Caribbean beaches in Barranquilla, or the unheralded Pacific Coast.

Cheap flights from South Florida have been common for a while, but this year Avianca just launched nonstop service from Boston to Bogota, with plans to expand to more Northeastern cities. Which will mean more tourists, and soon a totally different experience — look no further than Mexico and the DR for proof of that. So see the raw, authentic Colombia while you can. In another couple of years, you might not recognize it. — Matt Meltzer

Malta

A stunner of a cultural hotspot prepares for a year of Mediterranean parties
You’ve probably seen Malta before, whether you knew it at the time or not. It’s a Game of Thrones stalwart, with sites that have doubled as the Red Keep and seen more than their fair share of mock sword-fights. But when the novelty of pretending you only speak Dothraki has worn off, you’ll find there’s much more to it. The European Commission has named Valletta, the capital, a European Capital of Culture in 2018, and there are over 400 celebratory events planned throughout the year — expect acrobatics, choral singing, and orchestral ensembles (although not all at the same time).

This being the Med, there’ll be plate-loads of superlative seafood to sink your teeth into, along with the national dish, a red wine rabbit stew called stuffat tal-fenek. The archipelago has notes of Sicilian, North African and English colonial culture, but plenty of its own quirks too. When a local challenges you to a game of boċċi, don’t go thinking you played the same thing in Italy/an outdoor bar in Brooklyn. The Maltese use cylinders instead of balls. Ever tried throwing a misshapen can of corn towards a target? No, because that would drive you insane. The Maltese, they don’t mess around. — Jonathan Melmoth

Highway 1, California

America’s quintessential coastal road trip is back after a year of punishing landslides
Start by basking in the Malibu sun. Though it may be tough to leave, good things await. Head up Highway 1 to hit some stunning landscapes and prime beaches (Pismo Beach is a good first stop). Cliffs, sun, waves, repeat.

Tour Hearst Castle, then continue on towards the real showstopper: the Central Coast. In 2017 landslides made travel trickier; until the state can build over one particularly epic stretch of sloughed mountain, you’ll have to make the occasional detour. But the big revival worth seeing is the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge, rebuilt after a section washed away in early 2017, and many local businesses that had been forced shutter for months have reopened. Take in stellar views from the famed Bixby Bridge (you saw it plenty this past year in Big Little Lies) or just stop at virtually any point to be bowled over alongside other slack-jawed sightseers. Find the hidden, purple-sanded Pfeiffer Beach, and sit a spell.

Ogle houses you’ll never be able to afford in Carmel-by-the-Sea, then stop off at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Grab a seaside bowl of mouth-melting clam chowder (with a Lagunitas, naturally). Ramble over to River Road in Salinas for stellar, underrated wineries with the requisite beautiful views. Do some people watching in Santa Cruz before rolling into San Francisco. Then be sad you can’t afford to stay. And hey, if you can make the drive in late July, to coincide with the Gilroy Garlic festival, all the better. — Kylie Maxcy

Hamburg, Germany

A low-key bohemian destination has added a world jewel for music lovers
Oh, what most cities would do to be a bit more like Hamburg. It’s got a grungy, industrial past, night clubs in converted warehouses, and bohemian flea markets in the artsy Sternschanze quarter — basically everything on your hipster-leaning wishlist. Among the narrow canals and red-brick lofts of the UNESCO-approved port district (Speicherstadt), there’s even a uniquely eccentric tourist attraction: Miniatur Wunderland (loosely translated as “Miniature Wonderland”). Inside, you’ll find the world’s longest model railroad (there’s 10 miles of the stuff), teeny-weeny cities, and over 260,000 figurines. Go on, count them.

And then there’s the recently-opened Elbphilharmonie concert hall. It may have arrived seven years late and gone 10 times over budget, but you’re just learning about it and didn’t pay for it, so what do you care? Architects Herzog & Meuren have managed to create something that looks magisterial and sounds like a dream. The crystalline exterior is drawn into meringue-esque peaks, while inside, rippling ceilings and honeycomb walls make for warm, velvety, pin-sharp acoustics. And if that starts to feel too stuffy, just head two miles west to the still-standing Indra club, where a few lads from Liverpool first sported their mop-tops and sang “Love, love me do.” — Jonathan Melmoth

Jordan

Be among the first travelers to walk in some of the world’s most legendary footsteps
One of the world’s great walks is now yours to saunter, pilgrim. The newly formalized Jordan Trail is a sequence of ancient trade routes running 400 miles across hillside forests, sizzling deserts and blockbuster mountainscapes on its way from the Roman ruins of Um Qais to the glittering waters of the Red Sea. The whole thing takes nearly seven weeks to complete and runs through in 52 communities along the way, so you can meet the locals and ask them really nicely to fill up your water bottle. Each night, you’ll bed down at a traditional guesthouse, homestay, or under the stars at a Bedouin campsite.

If your vacation allowance won’t stretch that far, choose one of the eight sections to tackle, with the help of a local guide and an obliging camel. First-timers should go for the six-day chunk from the rose-stone wonders of Petra to the caverns and canyons of Wadi Rum. You’ll be following in illustrious footsteps: legend has it this very route was walked by Jesus, Moses and Mohammed, in between miracles. Oh, and Harrison Ford too, of course. After you, Junior. — Jonathan Melmoth

Seoul, South Korea

The world’s top party city will be feeling a Winter Olympics buzz
Take your mind off the Korea dominating the news cycle, the one with the rockets and the propaganda and the guy with the weird hair who hates our guy with the weird hair. Instead focus on South Korea, where PyeongChang will host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Scope out the host city if you must; but consider instead a frisky nearby megalopolis — just 90 minutes away via a shiny new high speed rail — that may be most equipped to handle a massive influx of hot, young human specimens.

While PyeongChang is the quieter sister town with modernized ski resorts, you’ll come to Seoul for the soju, stay for the bulgogi, then stay even longer for a 3am visit to the pyramid-shaped sauna at Dragon Hill Spa. Channel South Korea’s feel-good vibes and make quick friends of strangers at a karaoke spot or noodle bar around Hannam. Just don’t be surprised if you find yourself clinking beers with Lindsey Vonn, Shaun White, or a group of Canadians who want to show you how much momentum it takes for a stone to reach the house in, uh… curling (pretty sure they’re talking about curling). — Sean Cooley

Turks and Caicos

Getting to unspoiled luxury dives is finally down to non-ridiculous prices
Scuba divers can sometimes find cheaper flights to the South Pacific for a world-class dive vacation than to the crystal-clear waters of the Turks and Caicos, thousands of miles closer. But late in 2017 Southwest Airlines began service to Providenciales, and now flights that routinely topped $750 can be had for under $300. Suddenly the white sandy beaches of Grace Bay and the abundance of marine life along the wall at West Caicos are within reasonable reach.

TCI is still not a cheap place to visit. But if you’re planning one big trip this year, at least you can save on the airfare, leaving plenty in your budget for daily dives in what many call the best locale in the Caribbean. Even if you can’t afford the four-star resorts like Grace Bay and the Ocean Clubs, you can find reasonable rates at Beaches and Club Med, and there are no shortage of off-site dive shops that run trips cheaper than they do on-property. The summer’s hurricanes left only minimal damage, and unless you had your heart set on chicken at Chinson’s — which is temporarily closed — pretty much everything you’d want is open and waiting for you. You and all the money you saved on the airfare. — Matt Meltzer

Nashville, Tennessee

The Music City has swiftly become America’s sports trip of choice
You visit Nashville to be entertained, whether it’s listening to a band at the Ryman Auditorium or witnessing the fabulous freak show of bachelorette parties taking over Lower Broad honky-tonks for Fireball shots and make-out sessions with strangers. Increasingly, though, the main attraction is three sporting venues that all funnel into the party zone. This year, when your favorite NFL or NHL team plays in Nashville, you owe it to yourself to make it a full-on trip.

Blame the upstart Predators making it to their first Stanley Cup Finals in 2017. Thousands of hockey fans overflowed into the streets around Bridgestone Arena in the summer, and the national hockey press noticed the sea of gold. Since then, the Preds have become everybody’s second-favorite team behind their hometown crews. The Titans made the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2008, but there have been plenty of seats available for visiting fans at Nissan Stadium. Fans know it, too: One two-sport weekend, a tsunami of Chicagoans hit town, and — legend already has it — drank the bars dry before beer could be delivered on the following Monday.

First Tennessee Park hosts Triple-A Nashville Sounds baseball and the city’s new USL soccer team, Nashville SC. Won’t be long, though, before Nashville will make the leap past minor-league soccer. The MLS recently chose Nashville out of a dozen cities for their next expansion team, despite Nashville’s late entry to the selection process. The beautiful game recognizes a beautiful venue when it sees one. — Chris Chamberlain

Cape Town, South Africa

The world’s most beautiful coastal city is primed for animal lovers to pay a visit
“Cape Town’s on my bucket list, and I’ll also do a safari in Kruger,” says everyone always, and for good reason. The Mother City is hands-down the most dazzling coastal metropolis on the planet, with its dramatic seaside mountains, white sugar shorelines, and bangin’ restaurant scene, while the sprawling Kruger National Park brims with megafauna. You can even get partway between them on a sweet-ass train ride, sipping all-you-can-drink South African wines and discussing Mandela or Paul Simon or penguins.

We humbly suggest that you do this soon, though, and brace to help conserve water. An unprecedented drought has the city so thirsty its fair residents will soon be queuing at 200 police-monitored checkpoints for water rations. The good news is that for the nearby Stellenbosch wine country, drought means stressed-out grapes, which tend to produce some exceptionally complex wines.

As for the wildlife, the time to spend your money (which likely will go far in SA; the rand is crazy cheap lately) to see the world’s most awe-inspiring animals is also now. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants and especially rhinos are all under threat of being poached out of existence, basically so a bunch of dudes in Asia can feel masculine by bathing in ground-up horns. If you go, keep your showers short and take pics so the next generation can see what a white rhino looked like. — Ashley Harrell

Mexico City, Mexico

Mexico’s capital-turned-city-state is American eaters’ cheapest, fastest epic getaway
By any measure, Mexico City’s had a rough year. A traumatic earthquake on the anniversary of 1985’s devastating tremblor left residents and tourists shaken, and Trump’s State Department delivered a bitter early Christmas gift with an official travel warning barely two months later. But chilangos (unofficial demonym of CDMX citizens) are nothing if not resilient. Led by a courageous and adorable rescue dog, reconstruction started almost before the shaking stopped. Now the pace of life in the capital has mostly returned to its hectic, frenzied, and delicious normal.

The city formerly known as Distrito Federal is a heterogeneous mixture of European and indigenous Mesoamerican, of rich and poor, of spotless colonial boulevards and dingy side alleys. The best thing to do in Mexico City, though, might simply be la comida. Splurgeworthy, international-class restaurants exist beside greasy street meats of every description. Drop into world-renowned Pujol for a Michelin-starred feast (seated reservations need to be made a few months in advance, or just eat at the bar), then enjoy a postprandial aperitif in the form of a high-class tipple from Mezcaleria Los Amantes. Or keep it cheap with the CDMX-original tacos al pastor, available in just about all of the city’s innumerable taquerias and food carts, washed down with handmade mezcal from divey Pulqueria la Nuclear. Either way, at the end of it, you’ll be fat, happy, delirious, and like this whole city, ready to keep on rocking. — Conor O’Rourke

United Arab Emirates

A wild synthesis of tech innovations, advanced architecture — and awesome rollercoasters
The future came early in the nerve center of the Middle East, where Dubai and Abu Dhabi have become laboratories for superlative attractions and revolutionary architecture. UAE strikes a profound intermingling of tradition, modernity, and sheer excess; even the most tech-smart millennial tourists will feel as if they’ve wandered into a sci-fi novel. Rainfall from engineered clouds. A man-made archipelago shaped like a world map. Now there’s talk of hauling an Antarctic iceberg over to supply drinking water. The Burj Khalifa, as tall as two Empire State buildings, might as well be a relic.

The UAE is closing in on finishing lots of projects for mad-flaunting at World Expo 2020, so 2018 is your chance to get a good peek before. The Louvre Abu Dhabi launched in November, while Dubai has erected a 500-foot-tall picture frame; soon, the world’s largest Ferris wheel and a new artificial peninsula will come online. After a 2017 that saw Dubai open the world’s largest indoor theme park, the country is gaining on Florida as a theme-park capital. Look for the multi-billion-dollar Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi to land later this year. — Barbara Woolsey

Ireland

Flights are cheap, craft whiskey is exploding, and you probably have relatives there
The Emerald Isle is always a charmer, but there’s an extra mischievous twinkle in its eye this year, so pack your bags and get to the airport before your mother finds out where you’re going. Craft whiskey distilleries are sprouting up across the land, including Slane Castle in County Meath, Powerscourt Estate in County Wicklow, and Dublin’s very own bourbon-maker, Pearse Lyons. Add to that a booming bar and restaurant scene in the capital, and you have yourself a very merry time indeed. By day, visit the newly opened Irish Emigration Museum to find out how St. Patrick’s Day became America’s favorite holiday, or head out of the city for wet and wild coasteering — a combination of climbing, jumping, and hoping nobody hears you squeal each time you hit the sea.

Bonus for the East Coasters — did you know that there’s a fourth major airport in New York? Newburgh-Stewart is a former military base which is now hosting Norwegian Air flights to Shannon, in southern Ireland, and weekend-ready Dublin. OK, so it’s a bit further out of the city (90 minutes north of Manhattan), but the traffic’s better, the lines are shorter, and the tickets start at $99 each way. — Jonathan Melmoth

The Florida Keys

Hurricane Irma blew away the tourists — and the islands would love to see you
If you were watching the news in September, you might have noticed the Florida Keys had a spite of rather nasty weather. The aftermath of Hurricane Irma left 20-foot piles of trees, refrigerators, sailboat hulls and RVs on the side of the Overseas Highway. It also made the drive through the Keys even more breathtaking than it already was. Yes, the destruction of mangroves and plant life is not a good thing, but the silver lining is unobstructed ocean views for nearly all of the three-hour drive from Miami to Key West.

Once in the Keys you’ll find the main attractions are all up and running, with far fewer people than usual. In Key West, you’d hardly know a storm passed through, yet places like Fort Zachary Taylor State Park and Smathers Beach have a refreshing amount of breathing room. The bars along Duval Street feel almost like locals’ haunts, and the waits for breakfast at Blue Heaven are manageable. In the upper and middle Keys, dive and fishing charters are all at full speed, with plenty of spots to book and to cast for tarpon. A trip to the tip of Florida isn’t merely a bucket-list stop in one of America’s great natural treasures, it’s a form of on-the-ground hurricane relief. Even if social responsibility isn’t your top vacation goal, it’s still not a bad byproduct. — Matt Meltzer

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Art Basel and youth Olympics are set to hit into this sultry, sumptuous capital
There’s rarely a bad moment to hit BA — but 2018 will be the city’s star moment. To revel in the big daddy of art fairs, Art Basel, you normally have to splurge on the one-off events in Switzerland, Miami, or Hong Kong. But in 2018, the buddying up with Buenos Aires for a blitz of exhibitions and workshops by top-notch artists throughout the year and beyond. The headline acts hit the city in September for a one-week program curated by Cecilia Alemani (she looks after New York’s High Line, so trust). In October, you can try to spot the next Usain Bolt at the Youth Olympics. Soon after, the world’s dignitaries will arrive for the G20 summit, at a much slower pace.

Beyond the tentpole events, BA is a sizzling-hot city destination. Look for head-turning street murals, seductive open-air tango, and incredibly well-done steaks. The peso is at historic lows against the dollar. too, so you can get a whole lot more T-bone for your buck. — Jonathan Melmoth

Mozambique

A newly constructed coastal highway will open vast expanses of nature to explore
If you’re seeking out a big, remote destination in the new year, a safari in habitually-underrated Mozambique is your answer. This year marks the completion of the Lagoon Coast roadworks project linking neighboring South Africa to Mozambique’s capital Maputo and beyond. No more dirt-road slogs: Transport will be eons easier, especially handy with a coastline that’s nearly as long as the American East Coast.

Start on the faded Art Deco streets of Maputo. You’ll be greeted by fish market stalls where you can gather clams, squid, and the country’s legendary footlong tiger prawns, and have them grilled for you at a local restaurant. Drive up to Gorongosa National Park, one of the most diverse national parks in the world, housing lions, elephants, buffalo, wildebeests, zebras, waterbucks, and impala. Finish with a turtle tour in Kosi Bay, smack in the heart of southern Africa’s prime nesting area where, from November through mid-March, you’ll see loggerhead and leatherback turtles hatching on the beach and making their journey to shore as David Attenborough undoubtedly narrates it all in your mind. — Sean Cooley

Article courtesy of Thrillist.